In all fairness, dismantling or repealing legislation by previous governments can be just as momentous a decision as making it in the first place. And it was, wasn’t it?

thats true molgrips, but the point is that shes not deserving of a state funeral

rkk01 – Member

Who is musical director for the wake?

Oh let it be danny boyle.

thought it was a military funeral

It’s a state funeral in all but name.

Yep it is not a full state funeral. Not sure the distinction is that important to be quite honest, it’s all about perception.

so its not a state funeral then , that’s all I want to know .

rkk01 – Member

Who is musical director for the wake?

Oh let it be danny boyle.

Your wish is my command…

if its paid for by the state, parliament was recalled to discuss her death, the head of state will be there and its being held at st pauls – which has been used for numerous state funerals

Im struggling to see how it can be anything else

There appears to be some distinction about lying in state.

Boyle is confident he can rise to the occasion and distil the essence of the Thatcher effect, especially when it comes to financial de-regulation. ‘It’ll start, like her reign did, with a really big bang, and end with a whimper. The bang will come from an Irish pyrotechnic outfit who contacted us saying they’re keen to do the work.

😀

so its not a state funeral then , that’s all I want to know .

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Ah, but apparently this duck like creature is actually a moorhen.

The only difference between this debacle and full on state funeral is the lying in state bit. Given the depth of feeling on both sides I would suggest that lying in state and risking the general public getting close would be far too risky, hence the “state-funeral-lite” that we’ll see on Wednesday.

As I said before, if I’m paying for it I would like the day off to enjoy watch it.

I object to paying for this.

Can someone else who liked her cough up my bit please?

Anybody else watching QT? A lot of respect for David Blunkett so far. My opinion of Polly hasn’t changed.

yup blunkett is the one i think making the most sense, reminding me of Russel brands article

I take back what I said about the QT panel. A solid debate with interesting points tonight.

OMG Charles Moore is such an arse. I’m struggling to work out whether he’s more of an idiot than Polly.

Sorry Aracer, that was a cross post!

Anybody else watching QT? A lot of respect for David Blunkett so far.

I couldn’t stomach David Blunkett so turned it over. You buying the New Labour line then ?

I have to admit I’m not surprised, ernie. I hadn’t realised Blunkett was the distasteful side of New Labour though – is it because he’s not condemning her enough?

I appear to be shouting at the TV, must be QT.
Reinforces my already low opinion of politicians and Toynbee.
But Charles Moore is exceptionally deluded.

Got a bit silly at the end, but plenty of good stuff for the most part from everyone involved. I never realised that Menzies Cambell had such a crush!!! 😉

I would normally turn off my the time This Week came on, but interesting first point about Mrs T approach to the first miners strike from Portillo.

…this could almost be more interesting, Portillo and Campbell. Switch back ernie, I’m sure you must be a fan of Alastair.

(oops, nearly forgot I need to do this for ernie 😉 )

is it because he’s not condemning her enough?

Only got up to the bit where he let that Tory herbert claim that Thatcher had helped to release Nelson Mandela and bring down Apartheid, I thought I can’t listen to this bollox and turned over.

It was that and Blunkett’s waffling trying to justify embracing Thatcherism.

Maybe I’m a little less tolerant today because I’ve been to a local Trade Union Council meeting were the effects of the cuts on disabled people was discussed. I also learnt that when New Labour first came to power the thousand richest people in Britain were worth £98bn, after 10 years of New Labour they were worth £300bn, a 204% increase. New Labour are not my favourite flavour.

Portillo has just pointed out that Scargill shut down mining…

Portillo – My only criticism of Thatcher is she was too cautious…

Just talked me into contributing 69p

has Clegg said anything on the matter?

So Ernie, I guess you will be avoiding Blair’s latest piece in the FTand New Statesman! 😉

I take you point on Blunkett but had a different criticism.. Given what changes he’s has been directly involved in in his career and the constituency he represents, I though he would be more interesting than he was. When he started about his experiences in the 1970s and early 80s it was on the verge of being really informative. But then he kind of lost where he was sadly.

Once a lot of the more extravagant claims from either side have been dealt with, it has become more interesting to revisit the economic history of the 70s-90s this week. I thought the debate on “divisiveness” was an interesting case in point tonight.

apartheid bit was bad but i thought it was even better when that torry guy tried to claim that she was responsible for throwing off the shackles of communism in europe and russia

Rabid lefties are so in cabals of rational,though, they blame all woes on Maggie.

Gordon Brown favourite lines : “I am a prudent chancellor” later followed by “it’s the end of boom and bust”

He sold off the country’s gold reserves when the market price was at it’s lowest!

He deregulated the finance industry and sat back as the housing market and city boomed. He allowed this because he wanted the tax money to fund his wasteful schemes, to fuel his ego.

He splurged on PFI’s and bloated the public sector when the economy should have been naturally slowing down after 2000, but he kept it going by creating tens of thousands of non-jobs. End of boom and bust???

Then when there was a run on Northern Rock, he panicked and used public money to shore up this overspent bank.

We had Labour in power for well over 10 years, but STILL those with no clue (and are probably too young to remember) blame Margaret Thatcher for everything that ever went wrong in the UK. Rational eh! Par for the course! Lefties are so frustrated and angry in their jealous hatred that they can’t even think straight. And to think such barmy people can cast their votes!

RIP Maggie, you weren’t perfect, but you had balls. You stamped on aggressive militant unions and so rightly so! I remember the power going off in the 70’s, the rubbish not being collected, bodies not being buried, car plants at a standstill. The tail was wagging the dog!

In the late 80’s when I was just starting work, the factory I worked in was shut down for half an hour because someon dropped a small piece of ham on a thoroughfare. The unions shut production down to have the piece of ham removed! Bastards! Anyway, the factory closed years ago and houses occupy the site. We became uncompetitive and companies shifted production where unions didn’t exist.

I yearn for the sort of politicians we had back when Maggie was in power. We don’t have any personalities in mainstream politics now. They three main parties are roughly the same these days – fronted by a bunch of privileged toffs who went to posh schools, but have no comprehension of what its like to be a normal British citizen.

We need another PM with the same courage of conviction and charisma as that of Margaret Thatcher.

.

We need another PM with the same courage of conviction and charisma as that of Margaret Thatcher.

Erm, have you been listening?

In the late 80’s when I was just starting work…… the factory closed years …We became uncompetitive and companies shifted production where unions didn’t exist.

Hold on – you started working there in the late 80s, at which point the anti union legislation was all passed, and then later it became uncompetitive, and then later it shut down? Is that right? Because it sounds like you’re blaming unions for the troubles of a company at a time when the unions were smashed but inflation was high and the pound strong.

It is weird how the left cant see through Blair and Brown.

remember a Parliament question time when Milliband was slapped down and reminded that ‘you are the ones who got us in this mess’.

Posted this on the now locked thread…

Bears repeating, really

My mind boggles that those who think very highly of Thatcher find it so very hard to accept that a huge number of the population have very different views…
In the main, I have been very impressed with the measured and balanced tone of the commentary from former adversaries. It would be perhaps a little more dignified, and a lot less provocative if the sycophants were less vocal and a little more measured and balanced in their praise.
With the exception of close family I have largely been quiet on the subject of Thatcher’s death. The angry young man of 25 yrs ago would have expected rejoicing, but time, age and position has mellowed me… Let the past lie
BUT, I have found myself becoming increasingly irritated by the tone of many of the supportive commentators – especially Tory MPs on the TV and radio. They should take a leaf out of some of the more balanced commentators book. She was loved by many and utterly, utterly despised by many.
As well to accept that and move on.
Trying to ram down everyone’s throat how great she was is going to increase the voice of those who have quietly forgotten

This thread was indeed missing a bit of SpongeFAIL.

hora – Member
It is weird how the left cant see through Blair and Brown.

WHATABOUT! WHATABOUT! WHATABOUT!

Boring.

hora – Member

It is weird how the left cant see through Blair and Brown.

😆

Spongebob – Member

They three main parties are roughly the same these days

One wouldn’t have thought so, from reading your rambling rant. You give the clear impression that the Tories have saved us from a totally incompetent Labour government.

Still, I’m glad that you have come to the conclusion that the Tories are no better.

Or is this, along with konabunny’s observation, simply more evidence of Spongebob’s confused, contradictory, and incoherent, rantings ?